Chaplin, Sciarrelli’s iconic cutter turns 50 years old

In 1974, the historic Cantieri Sangermani were making a cutter destined to become a milestone in Italian shipbuilding. Made of wood, 16.75 meters long overall, she was the Chaplin, the first design made by the shipyard based on drawings by Sciarrelli. Today, half a century later, the hull belongs to the Navy and sails under the S.V.M.M. colors. But, above all, it is today that, to be precise, its 50th anniversary is being celebrated, at the Yacht Club Italiano (of which, for much of its life, it carried the pennant) and under the insignia of the Sport Velico Marina Militare (S.V.M.M.). A celebration that, not only honors the hull itself, but also so much of that shipbuilding tradition and excellence that, to this day, knows how to shine through the Classic Boats that still sail.

Chaplin, turns 50 on Sciarrelli’s historic Classic Boat

Launched 50 years ago, Chaplin was born as a class yacht, a hull designed for cruises and regattas, fine in lines and particularly long at the waterline (14.5 m), to be so balanced and suitable for the different contexts in which she could go. Built for the Novi family, it will be donated to the Navy in January 2008, becoming, in 2018, the representative hull for activities on behalf of the President of the Republic. But the Chaplin’s story takes off well before that, starting with the design and continuing into an outstanding racing palmares…

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Chaplin – Project

Armed with a cutter, as is often the case with Sciarrelli’s designs, the Chaplin’s design, as the architect himself pointed out, was mainly set to meet two distinct needs: those related to racing, and those related to Mediterranean cruising. Elegant in profile, this is a boat with an almost vertical transom and reduced slips, particularly long, therefore, at the waterline (14.5 m).

16.75 meters long overall, she has a relatively narrow (4.25 m) and not particularly pronounced maximum beam, just abaft the centerboard. A design solution that looks not only at the pace and seaworthiness of the complex, but also at the habitability of the interior volumes, which are, strengthened especially by the little pronouncement of the slips, exploitable on a larger ratio than different solutions.

Chaplin – History and Palmares

Design specifications aside, the Chaplin soon proved to be an apt hull on both fronts to which she was projected, immediately demonstrating marked qualities in racing. Her palmares, among many others, often include her victory in the 1977 Settimana delle Bocche in Porto Cervo, the I.O.R International Mediterranean Classes Championship in ’79, and her victory in the Giraglia in 1988. Achievements that, subsequently, he did not fail to maintain once he participated in the “Classic” categories, where, among others, under the CVA (Centro Velico Altura Marina Militare), he also won the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge (PCYC).

Regattas and sports aside, in her “youth” years the Chaplin was also a hull known for glamour and for the personalities she hosted under the Novi family’s rig. Eric Tabarly and Giorgio Falck, for the sailing world, but also King Juan Carlos I of Spain, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and Sir Edward Heath, British prime minister from ’70 to ’74. Tradition that carries on today as (as of 2018) the representative (and sometimes guest) hull of the Presidency of the Italian Republic…

Three “tidbits” about Classic Boats

• Want to learn more about the world of Classic Boats (1967-1998), the iconic boats of the period, the legendary designers, the stories and races of the “golden age” of sailing? Check out our section dedicated to Classic Boats!
• Do you have a Classic Boat to sell? Put it (for free) on our classifieds market!
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